Amy + Chris: A Mountain Destination Wedding

Amy + Chris were married at the historic Mast Farm Inn this past August. They wanted a mountain destination wedding that would be a true reflection of who they are. The day was absolutely perfect.

“I wanted to make the wedding our own. I'm not the most conventional (my ring is a pink emerald, after all!) and I didn't do anything just because I felt obligated or that it was tradition. Chris and I chose things that are reflections of us. That means we had some quirky aspects -- bird cake toppers, a tree print for guests to sign instead of a traditional guest book, etc. We made that big directional sign of each city our guests came from and the miles they traveled. And then for keepsakes we had the Polaroid station and had guests leave us notes on their picture. We tried to make the night a true, personal reflection of ourselves." - Amy

“A mutual friend introduced us and we went on our first date in October 2011. We got engaged in February 2013 while on a trip to Nashville. Chris proposed at The Hermitage while we were on a romantic walk around the expansive property. “ – Amy

“I made most of the decorations myself, from the flower girl wands to the LOVE banner. I'm pretty creative and have eclectic tastes, so I'm always trying to come up with things that "go" but don't look totally put together. I let each of the bridesmaids find their own dresses for that reason -- I didn't want them matching and I wanted their dresses to reflect their own personal style.” – Amy

“We wanted to get married in the mountains and specifically outdoors, so we had to have a destination wedding (because there are no mountains in Florida!). We wanted a rustic-chic type wedding because that matches our style and personalities, and so the Mast Farm was the perfect venue. The gardens are gorgeous and the barn and Inn are amazing features of the property. The Mast Farm was exactly what I envisioned for our dream wedding.” - Amy + Chris

“Part of the reason I wanted to get married outdoors and in particular at the Mast Farm Inn is because it's beautiful just the way it is -- with it's organized yet wild flowers, rusty barn and traditional inn -- it's a perfect blend of all that I love. Nothing is matchy-matchy and is gorgeous.” – Amy

“The backdrop and gardens are so gorgeous, I didn't want to compete with the property. Since we were using the barn as the welcome center and hang out spot between the ceremony and reception, I got a lot of accents, decorations and other items that fit in with that.” – Amy

“All of our guests had to travel for the wedding and we wanted to make everyone feel special, so we made a directional sign that listed the city where each person traveled from and the number of miles from that town to Valle Crucis. I also wanted to take a spin on the photobooth trend and so instead we got a Polaroid camera to create a "snap station." We hung up a decorative bird cage with mini clothespins and asked people to leave us a note on their Polaroid and then pin it. I made a "LOVE" banner that was used as a backdrop on the barn at the "snap station." It makes for a perfect decoration at our house with lots of keepsakes now! I also loved the wands we made for the flower girls instead of the traditional flowers in a basket. “ - Amy

What are 3 things you’re glad you did?

“1 -- Kept the day and all the details very personal. 2 -- Kept the wedding intimate. We had 50 people, which meant our guests are those who truly are the closest to us. 3 -- So glad I chose the Mast Farm! Not only was it a great wedding venue but our guests loved staying there and I am so happy they enjoyed themselves too! “ – Amy

Wedding Coordinator: Danielle Deschamps Stabler

Amy’s advice to other brides…

“Keep your wedding personal. Think about what you really want on your dream day -- and not just because you feel obligated -- and try to accomplish that. (Don't think you would ever look at a guest book in the future? Then don't get one and consider other fun options like having a piece of art that people sign. We had a custom tree print made where guests signed each leaf.) Make the wedding a reflection of who you are and what you love, even when it comes down to the food choices! Don't get so caught up with the hype and details that you lose focus that the day is really about a guy and a girl who are celebrating love, life and a new journey they are about to take together! “ - Amy

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Amy + Chris! It was such an honor to celebrate with you!